Lots of good things happened today. at 5:50AM doctors York, Arthur, Soleau, and Rao observed the exam, again conducted by Dr. Abtin. One nurse and two other residents were also there. It will be nice to move out of this room to a larger one with a view, which also would mean that Pat would be improved enough that she wouldn't have to be right next to the nurses station.
There was not much reaction from Pat at this early hour, but she had been pretty active during a lot of the night.
Pat's cranial pressure has gone down enough that Dr. Fults believes that the External Ventricular Drain can soon be removed. That is a major medical goal. He said that she has gone "over the hill."
The swelling in her arms and legs is way down, too.
Xrays showed no fracture in her cervical spine, so the neck collar was removed.
She had a tracheotomy done today, so the mouth tube was removed. That will make oral care much more effective and efficient, and it is easier to suction her lungs. The trach is below the vocal cords, so there is much less danger of damage to them.
There is still a chance of infection, but our cousin Pam will be happy to know that some doctors wash their hands when they enter the room and again when they leave.
If you feel you would like to do something but don't know what, Kay has a few sugggestions:
Donate blood. Someone donated the blood for the 3 transfusions that helped save Pat's life.
Send flowers to the Emergency Room of any hospital.
Send a card of encouragement to one of the mothers. We will have their addresses for you tomorrow.
Keep sending the PLS - Prayers, Love, and Support. We can feel every bit of it.
Love and health to you, Pat's sister Kay
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| This is Dan, taking the next shift. Kay left a littler earlier. Cousin Steve is here, on his way to Las Vegas for a (gulp) trade show (I told him to wear a helmet). Betsy arrived too, from Frisco. Pat continues to progress slowly and steadily. All the measurements are good -- ICP down, etc. She was sitting up in her chair today as Kay left and opened her eyes, as if to say goodbye. She's figeting a bit, moving her legs around, playing with the cords with her hands, even unplugging one from time to time. They say that's good, continuing to progress. Nurse Marta (a.k.a. Tilly the Hun) moved her into a nicer room, the so-called VIP room with a nice view over the city and across into the mountains. The move wasn't quite kosher, and Marta said she would get into a bit of trouble by doing so, but "it's easier to get forgiveness than permission." It all happened when Marta suddenly said, "There's a room just vacant down the hall. Let's grab the chance while we have it." So she started pulling out plugs and handing them to Steve, Kay, and me to hold, and we all more or less rushed across the critical care unit into the new room and started plugging in everything again. If Groucho Marx had been there to help it would not have surprised me. As I remember, Steve got to carry the jar with the yellow liquid and the other dirtier looking jar, which Marta kept telling him to be sure not to drop or let the hose become unconnected. It's a larger room and the view is in fact spectacular. And of course it's all the better since having it is slightly illicit. While we were at it, I borrowed a much nicer chair from another vacant room, good chairs being important. Pat looks good, especially when she's sitting up. I expect any minute that that smirky grin will appear, the twinkle will emerge in her eyes, and she'll ask if someone wants to buy a pair of good, used Revos. It will still take a while, but she seems right on the edge. Marta just walked in, anxious to explain stuff to us newcomers here, and said, "Pat took quite a hit, but she'll be all right." Dan (and Steve and Betsy) |
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